


Green Carnations

by Humansunshine



Series: TLTDNSIN [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mundane, Alternate Universe - Victorian, M/M, Mundane Alec Lightwood, Mundane Magnus Bane, mlm author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 10:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15603987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humansunshine/pseuds/Humansunshine
Summary: Magnus and Alec go out to the theatre.





	Green Carnations

**Author's Note:**

> First things first, I'm literally out of my mind right now so apologies in advance is this isn't quite as polished as my usual work. 
> 
> You don't necessarily have to have read The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name to understand this, but it helps. It's set during Chapter 2 of it, and is just a little thing I was inspired to write after going to see a Wilde play a couple of weekends ago. 
> 
> For context, queer men in Wilde's time wore green carnations as a symbol to each other of solidarity. I feel like you probably pick this up in the fic, but just so you know! The green carnation was the 1890s' version of one of those 'No-one knows I'm gay' t-shirts.
> 
> Trigger warnings!
> 
> Anxiety/fear: Magnus has a lot of (justified) fear of being outed. 
> 
> Period-typical homophobia: Magnus is very aware of the homophobia in the society around them - it's not references explicitly but it's pretty obvious from Magnus' attitude that being outed would be Bad.
> 
> Period-typical creepiness about youth: So there were Issues(TM) in the queer community at this time with pedophilia and their version of the whole 'barely legal' thing was very widely accepted. Magnus and Alec meet Lord Alfred Douglas, a real life individual who was known for his boyish appearance. Magnus references the fact that he could never be attracted to someone who looks like they haven't finished puberty, and he and Alec have a giggle at Lord Douglas' expense.

“Alexander, are you quite sure about this?” 

“Do you trust me?” Alec asked, meeting Magnus’ eyes in the mirror. 

Magnus hummed, toying with the flower in his hand. Alec sighed, turning to Magnus to take his hands. His face was open and patient, and Magnus marvelled at it. Patient was not an expression that he was accustomed to seeing on Alec’s handsome face. How many times had Alec had this exact conversation, how many men had he coaxed out of the shadows and into the light? How many had he validated and protected? Where were they now?

“Only other men like us will know what it means. I promise you. And there will be others. Dozens of them. Oscar invited everyone tonight, no-one will even notice we’re there. I swear to you, Magnus. You’re safe in the theatre. You’re safe with me.” 

“Alright,” Magnus said quietly, handing Alec his green carnation and raising his chin, allowing the other man to fasten it into his buttonhole. “How do I look?” He asked, stepping back to let Alec look at the whole length of him in his ultra-formal white tie attire. 

Alec smiled, his eyes crinkling. “You look beautiful. I’m going to be the most smug queer in the room. And that is saying something, considering Robbie’s coming.” 

Magnus laughed, tangling his fingers with Alec’s. “Promise you won’t leave my side?” 

“I’ll be next to you from the moment we get into the carriage until we get into bed tonight. I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.” 

“Alright,” Magnus sighed, looking at himself in the mirror. “Alright, yes.” 

“You won’t regret it,” Alec promised, adjusting his own bow tie in the mirror. “There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of being part of a tangible family that no-one else knows about.”

Magnus nodded, offering Alec his arm as he turned away from the mirror. “What exactly is this play about, anyway?” 

“God knows,” Alec chuckled, “but Oscar’s ever so proud of it, so no doubt it’ll be ridiculous and poignant in equal measure.” They walked with a little distance between them as they reached the stairs, mindful of the other patrons of the hotel. Magnus felt nervous, the flower in his buttonhole feeling too bright and garish. Although Alec promised him that no-one knew its connotations except those who also wore them, Magnus felt on edge wearing such a symbol. He glanced at Alec’s matching flower, and told himself that he wasn’t alone in wearing it, or wanting the things he wanted. There were going to be dozens of men like he and Alec in the stalls with them tonight, and Magnus would feel at ease. 

The hotel lobby was fairly quiet; most people were still at dinner. Alec gave him a reassuring smile as they crossed to the door, turning from him for a moment to give the cab driver instructions. Magnus clambered up into the cab and held out his hand to help Alec up, and then they were off. Alec slung his arm over Magnus’ shoulders, kissing his cheek. 

“I can more or less hear your heart pounding, Magnus.”

“My apologies,” Magnus swallowed hard, adjusting his collar and shifting just slightly away from the other man, “I’m sure once we get inside the theatre I’ll feel a little more secure.”

Alec squeezed Magnus’ knee gently, before putting his hands into his own pocket. “If it gets too much,” he murmured, pulling out a red rose garland.

“You didn’t need to do that,” Magnus smiled, his hand wrapping around Alec’s where it held the rose.

“Of course I did, I never want you to feel fear. That is why I wanted to bring you in the first place, my love. You deserve the peace in your heart that I feel sitting amongst people like me. I want that for you. But if you’re not ready, you can wear this instead. I won’t take offense.” Alec assured him, and Magnus shook his head.

“I don’t need it. I have you, and I trust you.” 

Alec sighed, his eyes warm and happy. “Why is it that we always seem to speak to each other as if reciting wedding vows?” 

Magnus beamed. “Because this is love,” he hummed, their foreheads falling together, “and we’re both completely and utterly hopeless.” 

“Goodness, you’re right.” Alec chuckled, kissing Magnus’ forehead. They both turned to look out their respective windows, biting down smiles and willing away blushing cheeks. Magnus’ stomach was turning over and over, but it was no longer unpleasant. The nerves he felt were entirely because of the heat of Alec’s thigh pressed into his own, and his mind could not be further from his worries of exposure. 

Though he had accompanied Alec to the opera several times during the few months of their courtship, Magnus had never been to see a play, before. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect when the cab pulled up to St James Theatre. There were a fair number of people assembled around, most of them seemingly press, clutching at shifts of paper and scribbling down the names of everyone they could recognise. He hadn’t been in the papers enough to be recognisable to any of them, but Alec attracted a bit of attention. 

“Mr Lightwood, are you looking forward to Mr Wilde’s latest jaunt?” One of them demanded, his pencil primed over his paper.

Alec chuckled good-naturedly, tucking one hand into his pocket. “Why, of course. As we all know, Mr Wilde’s wit is the finest in Europe. We are very lucky to have him here in London.” 

“Speaking of imports, who’s your companion, Mr Lightwood?” The journalist asked, pointing his pencil at Magnus.

Alec glanced at Magnus, who looked like he was about to be sick. “Which one?” Alec hummed, rubbing his chin. “All I see here tonight are companions and friends. It’s a lovely night. I hope you enjoy it, Sir.” He inclined his head politely and walked away, Magnus following at his side. 

“Thank you, Alexander,” Magnus muttered, allowing the usher to take his coat as they entered the theatre. “That was very thoughtful.” 

“Of course, Magnus. Not everyone craves infamy like I do.” His smile was dashing, and Magnus had to catch himself before he did something thoroughly stupid like kiss it from Alec’s lips. “Oh! Bosie!” 

Magnus turned to see a blond man who looked too young to be here. There was a slight curl in his hair, and Alec made a huge fuss of him, patting him on the back and complimenting his suit. Bosie looked like a cherub grown into a man, the green carnation in his buttonhole bringing the flecks of deep blue out of his striking eyes, and Magnus wondered if he and Alec had ever been intimate. 

“Magnus, this is my very dearest friend since we were at Eton as boys,” Alec told him, “Lord Alfred Douglas. This is Magnus Bane.” 

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr Bane.” Bosie held out his hand as if he expected Magnus to kiss it, and Alec elbowed him in the ribs. With a roll of his eyes, Bosie offered a handshake instead, and Magnus took it, a little puzzled. 

“Please to meet you as well, Lord Douglas.”

“Bosie, please. All the handsome men call me Bosie.” He purred, and Magnus laughed nervously. 

Alec watched the two interact with amusement on his face, rolling his eyes for show. “Oh, of course. Are you capable of speaking to a man without your frivolous flirting?” 

“Quite incapable, yes.” Bosie answered, and Magnus laughed, though he looked serious. “Alec, you swore to me that you’d talk Oscar into forgiving me.” 

“Yes, I did!” Alec grinned. “I have yet to see him, but I promise you, in the interval, I will do nothing else.” 

After a thanks and a kiss on the cheek, Bosie disappeared into the crowd, and Magnus tangled his fingers together behind his back. Alec glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. 

“And you thought I was shameless,” Alec teased, and Magnus snorted, biting his lip to hold in the laughter. 

“He’s perfectly charming.” Magnus assured him.

Alec hummed, nodding. “A little too charming, if you ask me. I’m just relieved I met you before he had a chance to get his claws into you.” 

“Oh, he and I?” Magnus shook his head. “No, no, that would be quite impossible.”

“Oh?” Alec sing-songed, “is there a compliment in there somewhere?” 

Magnus shrugged one shoulder. “He looks like a boy, and that is not appealing to me, at all. I…” He glanced around, checking that no-one was close enough to listen, “I have no desire to fuck someone who has yet to stop spending himself in his sleep.” 

Alec snorted into his hand, and Magnus grinned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two of them knew the score by now, for their public outings. Alec would charm and schmooze, and Magnus would usually stay as quiet as possible and avoid attention. Magnus wondered where Mr Wilde was, and if he’d come and say hello before the show. He didn’t like Wilde, though he hadn’t outright said as much to Alec. Alec was enamoured by the concepts of hedonism and eternal youth, and Magnus found it distasteful. Honour and duty, to him, were more important. But Alec was young, and his heart was kind. Magnus had no doubt that Alec would grow out of his funny fancies once he left Oxford. 

He’d already rejected promiscuity, and as far as Magnus could tell about Alec’s past, that was quite the feat. He was touched that Alec had insisted on being faithful to him. 

“It’s different,” Alec had murmured, one morning when they were struggling to part in bed. “With the others, there was always a… Sharing of… I don’t know, amusement, I think. But every time I leave your bed, I feel as though I’ve left something very important behind. No-one else has made my heart ache like you do.” 

Magnus smiled to remember it, his eyes focussing on Alec’s face as he told a well-dressed group one of his favourite anecdotes about sneaking out of Eton to watch a peep show. Magnus had heard it twice before, and he glanced around to see if there were any familiar faces for him to talk to. Only ten minutes remained until the play was due to begin, and he wondered if Alec was going to glide in fashionably late with the other pristinely dressed young men wearing green carnations.

Alec had been right; there were a lot of men wearing green carnations in their buttonholes. He recognised a few of them from dinner parties that he and Alec had attended, but most of them were strangers, though they gave him smiles that were equally warm and assessing in nature. Magnus felt as at ease as he ever had in the company of strangers, though he was glad that he could stick close to Alec and let him take over when things got overwhelming. 

“Mr Bane,” a voice behind him made Magnus turn, and he struggled not to raise his eyebrows. One of the men from the Foreign Office, a Mr Halfpenny, had called for his attention, his green carnation buttonhole conspicuous. “Fancy seeing you here!” 

“Yes, I did not expect to see you, either. Are you a connoisseur of literature as well as language?” Magnus asked. He remembered Halfpenny because of the frankly awful Malay he’d attempted to speak upon their second meeting, but he’d been so enthusiastic to hear about Magnus’ home that Magnus had forgiven his terrible pronunciation. 

Halfpenny laughed, shaking his head. “I hope that I know a little more about literature than I do about your beautiful language.” 

“You made an attempt, and that is more than I receive from most.” Magnus assured him. “It was very much appreciated.” 

“Thank you for your grace,” Halfpenny gave a little bow. “So, I see Mr Lightwood has inducted you into our little… Secret society.” He flicked the green carnation he wore with his finger, and Magnus chuckled nervously. 

“I am taken aback by the number of men wearing them,” Magnus admitted, “I assumed Alexander was exaggerating.” 

Halfpenny smiled. “We are everywhere, and we have a surprising number of friends, as well. Everyone likes to make a big show of being afraid of us, of course, but it’s all hot air. The truth is no-one in London could care less.” 

“I am started to think that myself,” Magnus chuckled, smiling at Alec as he joined them. “I think we should take our seats soon, rather than be stumble through the dark and trip over the feet of everybody.” 

Alec nodded, “yes, I think that’s probably sensible. Mr Halfpenny, apologies to whisk Magnus away-”

“Oh, don’t mind me. I should find my companion, he is around here somewhere.” Halfpenny shook Magnus’ hand and then Alec’s, before disappearing into the crowd to find his boyfriend.

“Did you know Halfpenny was…?” Magnus asked, watching the diplomat go. 

“No, which is strange.” Alec hummed, his eyes falling on Magnus.

“He knew you were,” Magnus warned him, walking close to Alec as they headed into the auditorium. 

Alec smirked. “Of course he did. My suckjobs are legenda-”

“Alexander,” Magnus gripped his elbow. “It’s not funny. Rumours are dangerous.” He looked hard into Alec’s eyes, hoping the younger man would see how serious he was. 

“Rumours are rumours. With an arse like this, there are always going to be rumours about me. Now,” he turned to put his hands on Magnus’ shoulders. “Could we simply enjoy our evening at the theatre without getting unnecessarily anxious?” 

Magnus pursed his lips. “You do not take any of this seriously enough.” 

“Heavens, if I ever do, shoot me.” Alec sniffed, adjusting his bowtie. Magnus shook his head, and stiffly walked away, making his way to their seats. He could hear Alec yelping for him, but ignored him, burying his face in the program when he heard Alec sit down next to him. “I was joking, Magnus.” 

“I am aware,” Magnus said evenly, “I did not find it funny.” 

Alec slipped his arm around Magnus’ waist. “My love…”

“The lights are dimming,” Magnus noted, closing the program and putting it on his knees. “That means it’s time to stop talking.” 

His mouth falling open is surprise, Alec turned his head to look at the stage. He missed the first quip because he was still reeling from Magnus’ behaviour. He should have known to watch his words. Magnus was terribly sensitive about all this, and it struck him that Magnus was only concerned about his welfare. He felt like a wretched child, and cursed himself all the way through the first act. His nerves eased a little when Magnus slapped his knee mid-laugh, so lost in the comedy that apparently Alec was forgiven. 

Alec glanced around to check that they were surrounded by Green Carnations, and tentatively wrapped his fingers around Magnus’. He flinched away from reflex, but after his own look up and down their row, Magnus squeezed Alec’s fingers, his thumb rubbing over the back of Alec’s hand. 

“I’m sorry for being a child.” Alec said as soon as the lights came back up, and Magnus smiled, his eyebrows raised a little in surprise. “I was being an arse. I’m sorry.” 

“Apology accepted,” Magnus replied, turning a little in his seat. “I was being uptight. Halfpenny is one of us.” 

Alec shrugged one shoulder. “I was trying to be witty, but I was rude. You deserve better than that.” 

Magnus melted. “Oh, do shut up. I’m already all too tempted to kiss you.” 

Alec beamed at him, and Magnus looked away, at the people surrounding them. “So…? Are you enjoying the play? I must admit I have utterly no clue as to what’s been going on, I’ve been perfectly frantic all through it.” 

“You are…” Magnus smiled wryly. “Too much. But damn you, I adore you. And I adore this. Being here with you, out in the open. Surrounded by love. It’s rather wonderful, Alexander, thank you for bringing me. And the play is delightful, though I’ll be damned if I’m giving Oscar a compliment to his face.” 

Alec laughed, shaking his head. “You see, it’s not as if our admiration of him is unfounded!” 

“Perhaps I’ll give him a short compliment, if you promise to stay in London with me another two days.” Magnus hummed, dark eyes glittering with happiness under the chandelier.

“I think that can be arranged,” Alec bargained, ducking to kiss Magnus’ knuckles right as the lights began to dim for the second act.


End file.
